ABUJA BOMBING: NIGERIA POLICE CAN'T FIGHT TERRORISM-AKALA

Former Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao Akala has said the Nigerian Police lacks adequate training and motivation to combat the rising insecurity challenges besetting the nation, especially the terror attacks she has faced in recent times.

Speaking to journalists at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos yesterday, he said the Nigeria police lacked adequate training, protection and motivation to carry out the daunting task before them.

His word: 'A lot of things are going wrong when it comes to security in this country and the country gets the type of police it wants. The type of security we are getting now is a reflection of the society; it is what is happening within our society and it is even what is happening within our security system.'

Akala, who arrived the Presidential Lounge to welcome former President Olusegun Obasanjo, added that Nigerians needed to see security as their individual responsibility, pointing out that the cooperation of each citizen would be the only unifying force to mitigate the serious security threat haunting the nation.

'We should try as much as possible to be our brother's keeper and to know that this country belongs to all of us and those people fomenting troubles should please stop; that is the only thing that can move this country forward.'

Akala said by these series of terrorism acts, Nigeria had injured its image in international circles, observing that the country must have lost huge amount of money on capital flight, adding that no foreigner or foreign company could come and invest in a country that was not secure.

'We are not comporting ourselves well before the international community and this is very important because foreigners will not like to invest in the country where there is no adequate security and Nigeria must have lost a lot in capital flight because the country seems not to be safe. So these are some of the things I want us to guard against, may God help all of us.'

The former governor further gave a goodwill message to all Muslims at the celebration of Eid el fitri and called on Muslim brothers and sisters to continue to live the disciplined and upright life, which they adopted during the 30 days of fasting and prayer.

'Our Muslim brothers fasted for 30 days and it's for them to move nearer to God and see how not to go back to what we used to do before, what we stopped doing during the fasting period, we should still maintain that we want a very peaceful country. It is under a very peaceful atmosphere that every other thing can take place, when the country is not peaceful, no development.'

Obasanjo also gave his goodwill message to Muslims and said that God in his infinite mercy should restore peace in the country.

'My Eld Fitri message to all Nigerians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, that God in his infinite mercy will give us peace in this life, peace progress and development.'